Cards
by the-beginning-of-the-end
Summary: roxas reads cards. it's all a game. an attempt to get back the life he lost.


AN: im going to attempt a chapter-fic. attempt being the keyword. It'll have flashback, to explain things, so don't worry if this chapter doesn't make too much sense right now. Feedback and ideas are always welcome.

STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES

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The girl sat on the edge of the sofa, anxiously waiting for him to finish shuffling his deck of cards. Her friend told her a week ago to come see him and have her fortune read. _It's the real deal_, the redhead had said enthusiastically after returning from her holiday visiting her older brother in the rehab centre.

He shuffled the cards with practiced ease. The little blonde girl in front of him was just like any other, all wanting one thing.

Or, maybe two things.

She wanted him to tell her that the cards read what she wanted to hear. What did she want to hear? It's always the same. She wanted him to tell her that she was going to fall in love. And with who? Of course, just like all the rest, she wanted it to be him.

He held the deck in his left hand and let his eyes slowly close. It was more of an act to make her believe than for anything else. He slid a card from the top of the pile and placed it carefully, perfectly, on the table in between them. Then another to it's right, and another to it's left.

He gave himself a moment in the darkness, the calm feeling rushing over him and letting him forget for just a moment that this girl was no different from any of his other clients. He was no prince, and she no princess.

"The left card is your past. The centre is your present. The right, your future." He said softly, his eyes slowly opening. He blinked twice before flipping the left card over. Eight of Spades.

The blonde girl lent forward in anticipation.

The door creaked open, but the person who slipped inside was ignored as they walked swiftly to the seat in the corner to watch.

"The eight of spades. You've had trouble and disappointment. Plans have gone wrong and friends have let you down." He recited from memory.

It was all a game. He'd been playing it for years with his ragged deck of playing cards. They'd believe what he'd tell them to believe.

The girl didn't say anything, but her eyes widened all the same. He took it as a sign to continue and flipped over the next card.

"Nine of hearts. The wish card. Your dreams are coming true." He told her calmly, the mask he wears while doing readings keeping him from making snide comments.

_She'd relate this to this exact moment_, he thought bitterly. She'd find a way to relate it to what she wants. And she wants him.

"Wow. That's so true." She murmured in awe.

He resisted rolling his eyes and turned the next card over, exposing the ace of hearts. Just his luck.

"The ace of hearts." He began cautiously, his low tone causing her to move closer.

"Is it bad?" She whispered, eyes flicking between him and the card.

He shook his head and gave her a small smile. _Act, darling, it's what you're_ _good at._ "No, it's good. Your future centres around the home, love, friendship and joy at the start of a new romance."

He heard her sharp intake of breath as her eyes stayed glued to the card. She was eating it up. She believed everything he said and had morphed it to fit her life. Three cards, and she was captivated.

_Act, darling, it's what you're good at._

_No, Demyx is the actor, not me._

_That's a lie, and you know it. Now get out there and be something that you're not. _

_I can't._

_You do it everyday, darling._

She lifted her gaze and smiled shyly at him. He forced a smile in return and got to his feet. Realising the session was over, she scrambled up as well.

"I hope that's given you some insight on the events of your life." He said methodically.

She nodded quickly. "It was all so true. Thank you so much." She said with a bow.

He bowed back and walked her over to the door.

"Come back anytime." He told her before closing the door behind her. He released a sigh and lent back against the closed door, his eyes drifting closed.

"Read for me."

His eyes remained closed but a tight smile curved his lips.

"Read for me." The words were repeated and he could tell that the person had moved from the corner to the sofa where the girl perched only moments before. "Roxas."

Roxas let his eyes open and take in the lanky teen patiently waiting for him to take his seat. "Why?"

"Because you want to."

Roxas breathed a laugh and walked softly over to the sofa and sat carefully next to the lanky teen. He reached forward and gathered his cards, beginning to shuffle them languidly.

"And why, pray tell, would I want to?" He asked.

The other teen grinned viciously and settled back in his seat. "Because you enjoy messing with people's heads."

Roxas calmly laid the three cards out. "I might have a bit of a problem then, considering you already know I'm just messing with you."

The older teen laughed. "But you're smart. You'll still find a way to screw me over." He flipped over the first card. "What does it say? The eight of clubs."

"It says that you've had trouble in relationships, both business and otherwise. You've been jealous and greedy to a certain extent." Roxas said blandly. He didn't smile or smirk. He didn't know the other teen's past well enough to say whether the reading was accurate or not.

The older teen wasn't ready to give anything away either. He lent forward and flipped the middle card. "And the jack of hearts?"

Roxas gave a shrug. "It means that right now you have a close friend, or whatever you're thinking about has something to do with a good-natured, fair-haired youth."

This brought a sharp bark of laughter out of the lanky youth. "Really? Can you be any more specific?" He drawled, leaning in closer to Roxas with a leer.

Roxas closed his eyes briefly, willing the other boy away. When he didn't take the hint or receive the messages Roxas was desperately trying to send to his brain, Roxas stood sharply and sat down in his original seat.

The older boy pouted. "What'd ya move for Roxie?" He brushed a strand of hair from his eyes. "I was only asking."

"I knew exactly what you were doing and it was really not appreciated. Now, if you don't mind, flip over the next card. I've got my session in ten minutes."

"Ah, the lovely two hour sessions with Sanchez. What makes you lucky enough to merit sessions with her holiness?" The lanky teen asked conversationally. "After all, not everyone gets therapy from the lady that runs this loony bin."

"It's not really any of your business. Now, please, turn over the card."

The older teen raised an eyebrow but did as he was asked. He gazed at the card for a moment before looking back up at Roxas. "I didn't think you used the joker anymore."

Roxas knew what he meant. He didn't use the joker after _last_ _time_. Roxas shrugged. "It's part of my deck. It's insulting to leave it out."

The older youth cocked his head to the side. "Insulting to who?"

"You know who." Roxas spat back, his eyes narrowed.

"No, I don't. Who are you insulting by not using the whole deck?"

_The deck is like us, if everyone isn't there, it doesn't work properly._

_I still don't get it._

_(Sigh) Think about it. If you hadn't been around, would things have turned out the way they did? Would we have been able to function properly and get through it?_

_I guess not…_

_Exactly. If something's missing, everything else is out of balance. Just because something bad happens, it doesn't mean that taking away that important person will make it go away._

Roxas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter." He murmured. "The joker, your future holds new developments and fresh starts, but will involve you taking a risk."

"Rox, talk to me."

"I just did. Now, you've had your reading. Leave."

"I'm not going until you tell me what makes your life so damn hard."

Roxas glanced up at the older teen from beneath his hair. The other boy wore a defiant scowl, his arms crossed over his chest and his feet planted firmly on the floor.

_Lie, act, fake it._

_But why?_

_Why darling? Because it keeps you safe. It stops anyone else from being able to worm his or her way in and take someone else's place. _

"Then I guess I'll see you around." Roxas replied, his voice without any expression as he stood and headed for the door.

"You shouldn't try and play the hero Roxie. Because that just means you're going to have to save a princess."

The door closed with a bang, the older youth's words burning in Roxas' mind as he walked down the empty hall towards Dr. Sanchez's office.

_You're one of us. _

_And what are you?_

_Heroes darling, heroes._


End file.
